JMD 4 Free Chain Maille Jewelry Patterns, Projects Or Weaves Plus

PRESENTS 4 Free Chain Maille Jewelry Patterns, Projects or Weaves Plus Bonus Guide to Aspect Ratio, Wire Gauge, Inner Diameter and Outer Diameter 4 Free Chain Maille Jewelry Patterns, Projects, or Weaves Plus Bonus Guide to Aspect Ratio, Wire Gauge, Inner Diameter and Outer Diameter

4 7 3 5 VINEYARD COILS HONEYCOMB HIVE SIMPLE KNOTS CHAIN BRACELET FOXY ROXY BRACELET MAILLE EARRINGS BY SARA (GRAHAM) NECKLACE BY TAMMY BOWMAN BY DENISE PECK RICHARDSON BY SARA (GRAHAM) RICHARDSON

A LITTLE MATH = A LOT OF SUCCESS IN CHAIN MAILLE BY KAREN HUNG 12

IN JEWELRY MAKING, jump rings are links usually used to con- chain maille weave is one of everybody’s favorites. Then try a new nect other parts, as in securing a clasp to a necklace or charms to look for dragonscale weave as you create hexagonal elements that a bracelet, but you can also make jewelry with nothing but jump resemble a honeycomb, separated by charming pewter bees to rings, too. Requiring little more than the pliers you need to open complete the theme – sweet! and close them and a good supply of jump rings to link to one But that’s not all! In the fabulous bonus guide to working with another, the easy and versatile jewelry making technique of chain jump rings, you’ll learn everything you need to know about aspect maille combines jump rings into chains, necklaces, bracelets, ear- ratio, inside diameter, outside diameter, wire diameter, and wire rings, and more that can be simple or complex, wildly colorful or gauges to allow you to follow these chain maille jewelry tutori- elegantly monochromatic – whatever stye you choose. als exactly as shown – or successfully adapt them into your own Jewelry Making Daily Presents: 4 Free Chain Maille Jewelry original designs. So get out your flat nose pliers, round nose pliers, Patterns, Projects or Weaves Plus Bonus Guide to Aspect flush cutters, jump rings, ear wires, clasps, and favorite beads, and Ratio, Wire Gauge, Inner Diameter and Outer Diameter is start making chain maille jewelry today! the perfect sampler collection of chain maille projects and chain maille jewelry instructions. You can start by learning how to make chain maille earrings with colorful jump rings and glass beads in just five minutes! Then try a basic two-by-two chain for a colorful chain maille bracelet delicately ornamented with vinelike coils. Next, move on to a chain maille necklace featuring patterned focal Merle White beads that hang from a handmade foxtail weave chain: this classic Editorial Director, Interweave Jewelry Group

©F+W Media, Inc. | All rights reserved | F+W Media grants permission for any or all pages in this issue to be copied for personal use. 4 Free Chain Maille Jewelry Patterns, Projects, or Weaves Plus Bonus Guide to Aspect Ratio, Wire Gauge, Inner Diameter and Outer Diameter

Simple Knots Chain Maille Earrings Make these in just 5 minutes

BY DENISE PECK

ere’s an easy way to show off a pair of favorite beads. This chain maille knot is made with just three jump Hrings. You can use any gauge or size ring you’d like.

1 Open two pink jump rings, link them 1 together and close. Open a third pink jump ring wide enough to slip over both, and close to make the knot. 2 Open one sterling jump ring, and encircle all three pink rings of the knot. Close. Attach a second sterling ring to the first. 3 Open a pink jump ring, slip it through your bead and around all three rings of your 2 knot, and close. Add an earwire. Repeat for the other earring.

DENISE PECK is Editor-in-Chief of Step by Step Wire Jewelry and the author of several best-selling wire jewelry making books and DVDs.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN STEP BY STEP WIRE JEWELRY, WINTER 2008 ©F+W Media, Inc. | All rights reserved | F+W Media grants permission for any or all pages in this issue to be copied for personal use. 4 Free Chain Maille Jewelry Patterns, Projects, or Weaves Plus Bonus Guide to Aspect Ratio, Wire Gauge, Inner Diameter and Outer Diameter

Vineyard Coils Bracelet Slip lush purple and green coils onto a simple chain maille bracelet, and thread on a leafy clasp. It’s reminiscent of grapes on a silver vine! BY SARA (GRAHAM) RICHARDSON

MATERIALS 7mm silver-plated jump rings, 64 24-gauge colored craft wire, amethyst and seafoam, Hook and eye clasp.

TOOLS Thin mandrel (16-gauge copper wire or equivalent), flat nose pliers, 2 pairs, flush cutters.

FINISHED SIZE 7¼"

SOURCES Wire: Parawire, parawire.com. Jump rings: Michaels, michaels. com. Clasp: Star’s Clasps, starsclasps.com.

1 Open all 64 jump rings. 5 Close a seafoam coiled ring and a plain 8 Thread on single jump rings through jump ring, but do not link them together. the holes of both sides of the clasp. Attach 2 Build a coil on the mandrel using a one side of the clasp to the seafoam end, length of seafoam 24g wire. Slide the coil off 6 Link an amethyst coiled ring and a and the other to the amethyst end. Close the mandrel, and cut it into 16 pieces, each plain jump ring onto the rings from Step the rings. about ¼" long. 5. Close both rings to start a two-by-two chain. SARA (GRAHAM) RICHARDSON is a former 3 Repeat Step 2, with the amethyst editor of Step by Step Wire Jewelry and now 24g wire. 7 Link a seafoam coiled ring and a plain runs Creative World of Sara, which includes ring to the rings you added in Step 6. Repeat the line Lovestruck Jewelry. 4 Slide both colors of coils onto the jump Steps 6 and 7, alternating colors, until you rings. If the coils don’t slide down onto the end with an amethyst coiled ring next ring, remove the coil, flush cut the ends if to a plain ring. needed, and slip the coil back on the ring.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN EASY WIRE, FALL 2008 ©F+W Media, Inc. | All rights reserved | F+W Media grants permission for any or all pages in this issue to be copied for personal use. 4 Free Chain Maille Jewelry Patterns, Projects, or Weaves Plus Bonus Guide to Aspect Ratio, Wire Gauge, Inner Diameter and Outer Diameter

MATERIALS 20-gauge silver craft wire, 1' 18-gauge 8mm OD anodized aluminum jump rings in one or more colors, appx. 437 Ceramic 20mm Happy Beads, 6 Foxy Roxy Necklace Hook or toggle clasp Combine foxtail chain with rocky ceramic beads.

TOOLS Round nose pliers, flush cutters, 16-gauge BY SARA (GRAHAM) RICHARDSON mandrel or thin knitting needle, small paperclip or scrap wire (optional)

SOURCES ately, I have had a lot of fun with lightweight anodized aluminum jump rings in Happy Beads from Some Enchanted my chain maille designs. I also had some Happy Beads tucked away in a container. Beading, someenchantedbeading.com. L I found jump rings that matched the beads, made foxtail chains, linked all the Wire from Parawire, parawire.com. beads together with simple loops, and combined them. Make the chains match your Jump rings from The Ring Lord, beads, or play around with different color combinations. theringlord.com. Clasp from Star’s Clasps, starsclasps.com.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN STEP BY STEP WIRE JEWELRY, Summer 2009 ©F+W Media, Inc. | All rights reserved | F+W Media grants permission for any or all pages in this issue to be copied for personal use. 4 Free Chain Maille Jewelry Patterns, Projects, or Weaves Plus Bonus Guide to Aspect Ratio, Wire Gauge, Inner Diameter and Outer Diameter

1 2 13 1 Cut a 2" length of wire. Slip it through a 2 Take six silver rings, and open four of 3 Pick up all the rings and flop the top rings bead, and make simple loops on each side. them. Link them together in a two-by-two- down to each side. Thread the thin mandrel Repeat for the other beads. Link by opening by-two pattern. Twist a scrap piece of wire or through the middle rings now at the top. Slide one loop on the right side of the bead, and put a small paper clip on the end to keep your the mandrel to the left and thread it through threading on the loop of the next bead. Close place. one of the jump rings you flopped to the side. the loops. Slide the mandrel to the right to catch the other flopped side ring. You should have what looks like a clover.

4 5 6

4 Thread a silver jump ring through the 5 Repeat Steps 3–5 several more times 6 At any point, switch to the colored rings four rings on the mandrel, and close. Thread to form the chain. and back to the silver rings. Repeat Steps 3–5 another jump ring through the same path. until you make a chain about 5½" long. Repeat Close. Take the chain off the mandrel, and add Steps 2–6 to make an identical chain for the two more rings to the top of the chain, and other side of the necklace. close both.

7 8

SARA (GRAHAM) RICHARDSON is a former On one end of a chain, thread on a single 7 8 Link two jump rings on the end of the editor of Step by Step Wire Jewelry and now jump ring through two end rings, and attach chain. With the second jump ring, attach one runs Creative World of Sara, which includes it to the first loop of the beaded section. half of the clasp. Close the rings. Repeat on the line Lovestruck Jewelry. Close the ring. Repeat on the other chain. the other end of the chain.

Try a NEW LOOK for Dragonscale weave.

| Tools & Supplies

• 20-gauge, 4.75 mm ID, amber enameled copper jump rings, 168 • 20-gauge, 3.12 mm ID, non-tarnish silver enameled copper jump rings, 195 honeycomb hive • Lead-free pewter bee charms, 7 • 20-gauge 2" silver head pins, 7 BY Tammy Bowman • Size 11° silver-lined clear seed beads, 7 Have you ever looked at something old and seen • 6mm closed silver jump ring, 1 something new in it? That’s what happened as I was preparing • 13x7mm silver lobster clasp, 1 to make a Dragonscale sheet bracelet. The honeycomb pattern • Needle- or flat-nose pliers, 2 pair began to formulate in my mind’s eye and it took shape with just • Round-nose pliers a few modifications of the weave. I linked hexagonal, honeycomb • Flush cutters sections together and adorned them with buzzing bees. Have fun RESOURCES: Enamel copper jump rings: Unkamen Supplies, unkamensupplies.etsy.com. embellishing your own charm bracelet with flowers and whimsical FINISHED SIZE: 8" garden life!

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN STEP BY STEP WIRE JEWELRY, April-May 2012 ©F+W Media, Inc. | All rights reserved | F+W Media grants permission for any or all pages in this issue to be copied for personal use. 1 2 3

1. For each hexagonal, honeycomb unit, close 5 and open 19 amber jump rings and open 24 silver jump rings. Begin the first row of the chain by picking up 2 closed amber jump rings with an open silver jump ring. Close the silver jump ring. Note: The artist is left-handed, so unless you are also, you would be holding the jump ring and pliers in your right hand.

2. Pick up a closed amber jump ring with an open silver jump ring and attach the silver jump ring to one of the closed amber jump rings from Step 1. Close the silver jump ring. You now 4 have an amber, silver, amber, silver, amber chain. Check ring closures after each row to ensure that the rings are flush with minimal gaps. It is very difficult to adjust ring closures once the rings are embedded in the weave.

3. Place the chain on your work surface and position the 2 silver jump rings perpendicular to the amber jump rings.

4. Place a closed amber jump ring on top of each silver ring.

5. Weave 1 open amber ring through the 2 closed silver rings. Close the amber ring. 5 6. Add an amber ring to one of the silver rings on either end then close the amber ring. Repeat by adding another amber ring to the remaining silver ring on the opposite side and close the amber ring. wire tip For this weave, keep in mind that amber rings are connected to silver rings and silver rings are connected to amber rings. Amber rings never pass through any amber rings and likewise silver rings never pass through other silver rings. 6

7. To add the next row of silver rings, pass a silver ring through the area designated by the open yellow dot. With the ring, reach in and grab the two amber rings from Step 4, then turn the ring toward the closed yellow dot by weaving the ring between the opening in the amber ring from Step 1. The silver ring emerges from the space created by overlapping amber rings (closed yellow dot).

8. Close the silver ring. Note that the silver ring captures the 2 amber rings from Step 10 11 4, but not the middle amber ring from Step 1. Instead, the silver ring is nestled inside 10. Repeat Step 9 on the opposite end with the middle of the amber rings from Step 1 another silver ring. and Step 5. Please be aware that this step is highly contortional, i.e. the silver ring must 11. Lock the silver rings from Steps 7 “snake” through 4 different amber rings. to 10 into place with 2 amber rings. Each While this is a tight maneuver, the silver ring amber ring passes through the center of should be able to emerge from the closed 2 adjacent silver rings from Steps 7–10. yellow circle without putting stress on the Close each amber ring after it is added. existing rings or on itself. If you find that weaving the silver ring is putting too much 12. Continue to add another row of silver tension on the weave, open the silver ring rings as described in Step 7. The weave slightly, but do not distort it. The silver rings 12a becomes tighter at this point, so pay must pass a width of several amber rings, extra attention that the silver ring captures therefore, they require being opened to a only the 2 amber rings from Steps 5 and 6 slightly larger degree than what is found in and is nestled inside the amber rings from most weaves. Steps 4 and 11. The yellow open dot shows the space that the silver ring enters and the Add a silver ring to one of the closed 9. closed yellow dot shows the space the silver amber rings from Step 4 by flipping the ring exits. Figure 12b shows the open silver amber ring from Step 6 toward the middle ring in the correct position before ring closure. of the weave. This silver ring will rest in the middle of the amber ring from Step 1. Flip the amber ring from Step 6 back over so that the silver ring is nestled inside it as well. 12b

©F+W Media, Inc. | All rights reserved | F+W Media grants permission for any or all pages in this issue to be copied for personal use. 13. Add the second silver ring in the manner described in Step 12.

14. Continue adding rows of amber and silver rings in the manner described above until you have 4 rows of 3-ring amber units and 4 rows of 2-ring silver units.

15. Begin to taper off the rings to create a six-sided honeycomb unit by weaving 1 13 14 amber ring through the 2 silver rings in the last row of Step 14.

16. Add one silver ring to the honeycomb unit to complete the taper for this side.

15 16

17. Flip the honeycomb unit over to begin the taper for this side.

18. Add 3 silver rings by weaving through the amber rings from Step 4.

19. Add 2 amber rings to the next row by weaving through the silver rings added in Step 18.

20. Add 2 silver rings to the 3 amber rings 17 18 from Steps 1–2 (the original amber rings used to begin the unit).

19 20

22. Add the final silver ring to the unit by weaving through the amber rings added in Step 19. You have now completed one honeycomb unit. Repeat Steps 1–22 for the remaining honeycomb units.

21 22

23 24

23. To connect the honeycomb units, attach a silver ring through the amber and silver rings added in Steps 21 and 22. Repeat with another silver ring on the opposite end of the unit.

24. Connect one honeycomb unit to another using a silver jump ring. If you have extra jump rings, you may wish to double this connection ring for additional strength.

25. Make the bumble bee dangles 25 by threading a bee charm on a headpin followed by an 11° seed bead. Make a wrapped loop above the seed bead with TAMMY L. round-nose pliers and trim excess wire with BOWMAN has a flush cutters. Ph.D. in Biochemistry but decided to delve into beading and Attach the charm to an open 26. chain maille about silver jump ring and connect the dangle seven years ago. She to the middle silver ring between lives in Tampa with two honeycombs. Close the silver jump her husband, two daughters, and yellow lab. See ring. Attach a 6mm jump ring to one end more of her designs at innermusejewelry.etsy.com of the bracelet and a lobster clasp to the and innermusejewelry.blogspot.com. opposite end. Adjust the size by increasing/ decreasing honeycomb units and/or adding 26 additional silver rings between the units.

A Little Math = A Lot of Success in Chain Maille Understanding aspect ratio.

BY KAREN HUNG

FINDING THE ASPECT RATIO COMMON WIRE DIAMETERS COMMON CHAIN TERMS To get the AR of a chain you need ... math. But the formula is very easy, andAW youG will find yourselfFRACTION using it over and overMM AR Aspect Ratio when making chains. ID Inside Diameter 12 .0808 2.05 Here’s the basic formula: ID / WD = AR OD Outside Diameter Let’s say you 14want to weave a Byzantine.0641 chain that you saw1.63 WD Wire Diameter in a magazine, but16 you prefer to make.0508 it with a larger or smaller1.29 AWG American Wire Gauge (In the United States, includes wire than shown. Looking at the AR formula, you can see but not limited to: copper, sterling, gold, gold-ﬁll, there are only three18 data points needed.0403 to make all your chain1.02 Argentium,™ aluminum, craft wire) fantasies come true.20 .0320 .813 Let’s say the magazine chain is: 16 AWG copper rings with an ID SWG Standard Wire Gauge (in the United States, includes 22 .0253 .643 but not limited to: stainless steel, galvanized steel. of 4.25mm, using this information you can do the AR calculation. Includes precious metals in the United Kingdom (See Common Wire Diameters box) and Canada) COMMON CHAIN TERMS COMMON WIRE DIAMETERS AWG FRACTION MM AR Aspect Ratio ID Insidenowing Diameter how to weave rings into intricate patterns is only 12 .0808 2.05 half of the craft of chain maille. To make a great looking OD KOutsidechain, Diameter you must know the optimal ring size to highlight the 14 .0641 1.63 WDpattern.Wire If Diameter your rings are too large, your chain is floppy, and the 16 .0508 1.29 AWpatternG American is lost. WireConversely, Gauge if(In your the rings United are States, too small, includes your chain is inflexiblebut not limitedor may to:not coppebe abler, sterling,to be woven gold, gold-ﬁll,at all. Many times 18 .0403 1.02 you’llArgentium,™ see references aluminum, to ring sizes craft in wire) books or Web sites, sometimes 20 .0320 .813 referred to as key numbers or more commonly, Aspect Ratio (AR). SWG Standard Wire Gauge (in the United States, includes 22 .0253 .643 Thebut notAR is limited the relationship to: stainless between steel, galvanized the Wire steel.Diameter (WD) and InsideIncludes Diameter precious (ID) metals of the in ring.the United As important Kingdom as the AR is for chainand making, Canada) there usually isn’t one AR for any particular chain To find the AR of the magazine chain (16AWG =1.29mm and weave. With few exceptions, there is usually an AR range for most 4.25mm ID rings), plug the numbers into the formula: chains, and the number you choose is a subjective decision. When ID / WD = AR 4.25 ➥ 1.29 = 3.29 you see an AR range in the lower numbers, it indicates a tighter Now you know the AR of the magazine chain is 3.29. To make weave. Larger numbers indicate an airy weave. One important thing a larger chain, let’s say with 14 AWG wire, you would use the to remember — the real beauty of AR is that the ratio remains the basic formula, rearranged to use the numbers that you know to same regardless of the wire you are using; gold, to copper, to find the new ring ID for the 14 AWG wire. galvanized steel, AWG or SWG, the AR is always the same. From the chart, you know the diameter of 14 AWG is 1.63mm, and from your previous calculation you know that the AR for the magazine Byzantine chain is 3.29. Plugging in the known

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN STEP BY STEP WIRE JEWELRY, SUMMER 2008 ©F+W Media, Inc. | All rights reserved | F+W Media grants permission for any or all pages in this issue to be copied for personal use. 4 Free Chain Maille Jewelry Patterns, Projects, or Weaves Plus Bonus Guide to Aspect Ratio, Wire Gauge, Inner Diameter and Outer Diameter

your mandrels or the wire temper. You will find that not all wire is created or labeled equally, sometimes your wire measures perfectly when using a standard wire gauge, or sometimes it’s a tad bigger or smaller than what it’s labeled. Silver, copper, and Argentium™ are all measured using the AWG in the United States. In Canada and the U.K., the same wire is measured using the SWG system. Additionally, the same gauge wire in different metals, or wire from different companies, may not always measure out to the same size. If you use wooden dowels as mandrels for making jump rings, each time you use them they compress and will get a bit smaller, which further complicates the task of determining the ring ID for the chain you’re trying to weave. You can buy steel mandrels made specifically for making jump rings, or you can buy a set of transfer punches (available in both metric and imperial sizes), or use aluminum knitting needles to use as your mandrels. Wire temper is another part of hitting this seemingly moving target of ring ID. Dead soft wire wraps up nice, but since it’s soft it tends to dull your saw blades a bit faster than other wire tempers. numbers into the formula, you can get to the new ring ID Half hard wire is easier to cut, but springs back a bit when you for a Byzantine chain using 14 AWG wire. release the tension from your coil, making your rings a little bigger PHOTO: JIM LAWSON JIM PHOTO: WD x AR = ID ➥ 1.63mm x 3.29 = 5.36mm than rings made from dead soft wire. Hard wire will spring back You will need a mandrel that will produce jump rings with even farther than half hard—and spring hard wire is even worse! as close to a 5.36mm ID as possible. The ring size for a Byzantine Determining ring ID and making rings is time consuming, but chain that looks the best using 14 AWG wire is made with a 7/32 making your own rings frees you to create your chain. (5.55mm) mandrel. Make a small sample before cutting all your The best piece of chain making advice is to buy some copper rings. wire in a number of gauges, and make prototypes of your chains. Let’s go down a wire gauge (18-gauge) and determine a new Document your favorite sizes. The time and wire used for making ring ID, the WD for 18 AWG wire is 1.02mm, and the AR for the samples will serve you well. You learn the weave without worrying magazine Byzantine chain is 3.29. what your rings will look like after you’ve opened and closed each WD x AR= ID ➥ 1.02mm x 3.29 = 3.36mm ring several times, you will find your optimal ring, and you will The ring ID for the 18AWG wire comes out to 3.36mm. You have a small piece of chain or tail to use to start, instead of having may want to go down to the 3.25mm mandrel or up to 3.5mm to start anew. mandrel. Your mandrels, your wire, the wire temper, or simply Wire diameter source: The Complete Metalsmith your preference will ultimately determine which size ring you by Tim McCreight. think is perfect. Again, make a small sample, and adjust as necessary. KAREN HUNG is an independent craftsperson working in Southern California. She has a MS degree in Organization Psychology, and spent AR, WIRE, MANDRELS, AND EXPERIENCE many years living in Los Angeles and working in Human Resources. Most of the time the AR you use to determine the ring ID works Then she found herself in San Diego, where she signed up for a jewelry fine. But sometimes you will find that your chain is a bit tighter class, and discovered the joys of the rolling mills, big torches, and or a bit looser than expected, despite the fact that you’ve double- molten metal. See more of her work at khmetalwork.com and checked your math. Your unexpected results could have been khmetalwork.etsy.com. E-mail [email protected]. caused by a number of things including the real gauge of the wire,

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